34 MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

Hot flashes are one of the most common and most troublesome symptoms of menopause, but a new study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic has found that a simple dietary change may bring some relief to suffering women.

The study, conducted by Sandhya Pruthi, MD, et al., suggests that the addition of flaxseeds (a tiny brown seed valued for its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids) to the daily diet can cut the intensity of hot flashes by half. The study followed 29 menopausal women who reported having had hot flashes upwards of fourteen times a week for a month or longer, and who were not following any treatment program for their menopause symptoms.

For the first week of the study, the subjects made no lifestyle changes, but kept a journal noting the frequency and intensity of their hot flashes, and how it impacted their quality of life. After the first week, the researchers had the women add two tablespoons of crushed flaxseeds two times a day to their diet (sprinkled over cereal, yogurt or fruit, or mixed into juice).

The test subjects continued with the flaxseed diet for six weeks, continuing to report their hot flashes in their daily journal. The results of the study suggest that adding flaxseed to the diet reduced the daily number of hot flashes by half, and lessened the intensity of hot flashes by 57%. Some mild side effects were reported, including abdominal bloating and diarrhea.